Woman adding more muscle mass

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Hi gang,

I have lost quite a bit of weight (was 130) over the last few months including my love handles, which I've had since I was an adult. Was eating 1200 cal a day but now I've been eating about 1600-1800 cal a day and working out with weights at least 3 times a week (heavy weights 3 sets of 8 reps) and interval cardio for about 15 mins on 2 of those days. I've noticed that I gained a little muscle, but I really want thicker more muscly thighs and bigger butt. I know I'm not eating enough calories, but I'm afraid I'll get my love handles back so haven't tried. I try to eat as clean as I can. Please see example of my diary below and some recent pics in my photobucket. I just want to be more shapely but not get added stomach fat. I used to be 180 with body fat around 36 percent. Never in my life would I say I wanted to gain weight, but here I am.

Breakfast: plain oatmeal
Snack 2 hours later: half cup Greek with fruit such as mango slices mixed in
Lunch: kale salad mixed w chick peas, black beans, and half avocado
Dinner: cheese corn tortillas (2-3) w mozz cheese, salsa and sometimes avocado
Snack: sometimes dark choc covered cranberries which I'm trying to cut out
I also intake about 80-100 grams of protein daily through protein shakes and my diet. Some days I can't make it though but eat about 50 grams.

* I drinks a lot of water throughout the day (8cups) and no soda just iced tea.

Weight: I am 116 pounds and on my scale it says I have a bmi of 19 percent but not sure how accurate it is
Height: 5'6"

http://s1288.photobucket.com/user/Indyerhardt/library/?sort=3&page=1

Replies

  • SunofaBeach14
    SunofaBeach14 Posts: 4,899 Member
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    You're not getting enough protein to maximize muscle growth and you need to stop relying so much on protein shakes. That said, you'll still get growth but to maximize it you need around 1 gram per pound of lean body mass. Keep at maintenance level calories for a while, up your protein, keep lifting, and be patient. After a year or two you'll probably hit a wall with strength gains at maintenance (or very slightly above) and you can decide then whether to try a bulk after a short cut.
  • Indyerhardt
    Indyerhardt Posts: 5 Member
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    Well I actually get 50 grams through the shakes and rest through diet. That's still too much? I don't like to eat too much meat because it messes with my digestive but I do know I can get it through other things. I know I can have more nuts and peanut butter but I know that will go ver my usual calories of 1800. It says my TDEE is 2034 so I should be eating at least that much plus any workouts I do? How much more protein should I go for? Around 116 grams based off my weight? I just don't want to lose more weight and look anorexic. I'm already worried about that now even tho I've been strength training. I am stronger but just want added muscle mass with that.
  • ExcelWithMel
    ExcelWithMel Posts: 192 Member
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    Weighted Squats and Lunges. Lot of them, and increase your weights.

    Your protein is fine.
  • Indyerhardt
    Indyerhardt Posts: 5 Member
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    Hey excel,

    I have been doing squats with weights and will be adding lunging as well. I have noticed a difference with fat loss in my backside and it's more shapely but still on the small side. I would love to be able to fill out my jeans a bit better back there and heard by only increasing calories you can do this.

    I've noticed I can feel my spine in my back now and when laying down my hips stick out. I don't want to become bony. I want muscle to form around these areas. My niece was on my back yesterday and she said I was bony and not comfortable. It kinda upset me lol.
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
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    You're not really going to gain muscle eating 16-1800 cals.
  • Indyerhardt
    Indyerhardt Posts: 5 Member
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    Should I stick to 2034 cal range then or intake more?
  • CharlieBeansmomTracey
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    muscle in some women take longer to build than others.I know I am having a rough time building my arms the way I want them my quads are coming along nicely and so are my glutes.my butt has lifted A LOT. no muscles in my back and I have been lifting heavy for about 6 months maybe more(havent kept track). just stick with the heavy lifting,the protein and more calories.my shoulders though look pretty good. I had a LOT of fat on my arms,back and shoulders that is now gone after 25 months.(from exercise and some weight lifting).give it time and be patient. you will get there
  • CharlieBeansmomTracey
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    If you have a lot of fat you can gain it eating only that many calories. I have done it. while its not it can be done.I cant eat over 2000 calories a day my body cant handle that much food and yet Im gaining muscle and losing fat.
    You're not really going to gain muscle eating 16-1800 cals.
  • butterbear1980
    butterbear1980 Posts: 234 Member
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    You should be shooting for about 100 g of protein/day which at first may seem like a lot but really its not. I shoot for 150.A digestive enzyme and pro biotic could help with digestion. I love meat but get it that not everyone does. I don't do well with soy but you could get more protein with tofu and rice/beans, and eggs lots of eggs .
    How did you come up with your calorie goal? Are you still loosing weight? Use an online calculator for a starting point # do that for a month tracking weight and measrurements. If you maintain for a month say at 2200 then up it 200 cals to 2400 and try that for a month.
  • oksanatkachuk
    oksanatkachuk Posts: 149 Member
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    Huh weird to hear not to rely on protein shakes. It's like saying not to rely on sugar to get carbs from.
    I m having same issue as a op, and starting to think that will have to do some sacrifices.
    Few months of bulking prolly for winter on 250 cal plus maintain.

    In another words, bulk or not bulk. It's ur choice but one need to make up mind. So far I didn't find golden middle solution . Plz correct me anybody :)
  • 3laine75
    3laine75 Posts: 3,070 Member
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    You're not really going to gain muscle eating 16-1800 cals.

    What she said.

    If you want to gain muscle you'll need to eat OVER your TDEE. You will always gain fat at the same time as muscle - no way to avoid this - you would just eat at deficit again once you are happy with the muscle you built.

    It can be hard for some to eat the extra calories, this is when eating 'clean' becomes hard (and pointless in my opinion).

    If you want to gain the (generally accepted) optimum amount of muscle for a female add a 250 cal surplus.
  • 3laine75
    3laine75 Posts: 3,070 Member
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    If you have a lot of fat you can gain it eating only that many calories. I have done it. while its not it can be done.I cant eat over 2000 calories a day my body cant handle that much food and yet Im gaining muscle and losing fat.
    You're not really going to gain muscle eating 16-1800 cals.


    OP is 116 lb at 5'6" - probably doesn't have a lot of fat.
  • SpecialSundae
    SpecialSundae Posts: 795 Member
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    A "clean bulk" isn't about eating clean but only eating as much as will allow your body to gain the maximum muscle it can with the minimum of fat gain. A "dirty bulk" is eating anything and everything and to hell with the fat gain.

    If you're a woman aiming for a clean bulk (and it'll still be a 1 to 1 ratio of fat to muscle if you're really, really lucky), you need to eat 250 calories over what would be maintenance... so probably 2300ish for you if your calculated maintenance is 2063.

    To put this into context, I'm a woman weighing 135lb (or thereabouts) and I maintain on 2600 whilst lifting four times a week. I've been theoretically bulking since January of this year and yet so far I've gained a grand total of about 2-4lb... seriously. My bulking is made of fail!

    That said, my *kitten*, arms and legs are bigger and my waist is smaller and everything is firmer. So I'd hazard a guess I've managed a bit of a recomposition.

    Anyway... the point was EAT MORE, lift heavy and don't worry about the wobbly bits.
  • SunofaBeach14
    SunofaBeach14 Posts: 4,899 Member
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    Should I stick to 2034 cal range then or intake more?

    Start with that and start tracking your gains against your calories. If you're new to lifting then you'll gain muscle even at maintenance.
  • Galatea_Stone
    Galatea_Stone Posts: 2,037 Member
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    OP, we aren't very far apart with where I started. I'm 5'7" and started a bulk at 120. I'm now 134 and wear the same clothing. I had planned to cut from 134, but ended up maintaining and recomping after I bulked.

    That said, I needed 2300-2600 calories to gain the 14 pounds over the course of almost a year. You need to lift as heavy as you can for your compound lifts, and incorporate hypertrophy work into your accessory lifts to have optimum results.

    I ate around 140-180 grams of protein a day from all sources. I am sure this was more than I needed, but I had a pretty successful bulk to gain 14 pounds and wear the same size. And everything looks much better. I maintain on 100-130 grams a day.

    I'm quite a bit older than you and am very glad I bulked. Getting past the fear of gaining is the hardest part.
  • CharlieBeansmomTracey
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    no probably not was just saying though it can be done



    OP is 116 lb at 5'6" - probably doesn't have a lot of fat.
    [/quote]
  • Indyerhardt
    Indyerhardt Posts: 5 Member
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    Thank you so much for all the input everyone. It's nice reading stories from those that started from the same place as me so thank you galatea_stone for that. I am certainly scared about eating more since I've spent so much time losing weight lol. I am going to start at 2300 cal a day and attempt to eat healthy but it may be hard not to through a burger in every now and then since healthy is low calories for the most part aside from peanut butter, nuts, and avocado. My plan is to work out 3-4 days a week and I'm guessing I should be keeping 2300 calories and high protein even on my off days. Hopefully that's right. I've been doing pretty well with heavy lifting. Just have to work at it more and try not to stress about eating so much. Thanks again guys????
  • Hymay
    Hymay Posts: 6 Member
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    Congrats on your weight loss and finding yourself with a very positive problem to have!
    It sounds like you have the right basic idea for building strength & bulking up to get that real form. Lift HEAVY.... you may alter your workouts a bit to go for heavier sets in the 3-5 rep range. Smaller sets should be higher intensity, the higher your intensity, the greater the hormonal response will be (Just make SURE your supporting muscles are up to the task on the compound lifts. The last rep should be difficult, but maintain good form)
    For reference reading, Check out either Stronglifts 5x5, or Starting Strength.

    Dietwise, I would add some cals, at least the 250 over maintenance suggested. If you get your hormones working for you, fat gain should be much less of an issue.
    In the morning, I would ditch the oatmeal in favor of a protein/fat combination. Bacon/eggs, sausage/omlette, jazz it with olives, avocado, sour cream, whatever floats your boat. Experiment, but just don't mix a dose of fats with a high glycemic food. This should avoid breaking your fast with a highly insulinemic gush.
    You've just fasted overnight & your body is in a fat burning mode, feed it some fats and a little protein to keep the same fuel source burning. Oatmeal/carby foods would rush insulin out to drop your blood sugar and interrupt fat burning for a while. (Who knows, you MAY not be hungry 2 hrs later for a snack)
    Otherwise, if the plan is working for ya, keep with it. Its hard to tell with just a day's list, but you might look and see if your diet is a bit fat phobic? Fats are required anytime building is going on, as all cells require at least a lipid bilayer as well as other lipid structures.
    I mainly mentioned a fat fueled breakfast since you were concerned about increasing BF as you bulk.... why pass up a few free hours burning fats.

    Your desires sound almost exactly like a success story I once read.. Search up Nerdfitness & Spezzy

    http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2011/07/21/meet-staci-your-new-powerlifting-super-hero/

    Hope it helps,